by Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY Sports

by Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY Sports

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Yunel Escobar hates his bad reputation. Other players might claim never to read or care what's written about them. The Tampa Bay Rays new shortstop makes no such pretense.

"It bugs me," the Cuba native says in Spanish. "Nobody can tell me why I have such a bad reputation. I'm waiting for someone to tell me why. I don't understand it. Maybe it's the language (barrier), and people have misinterpreted me."

Escobar first gained a reputation for being difficult when he clashed with Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox, who found him flashy and prone to lackadaisical play. A year after Escobar batted .299 with 14 homers and 76 RBI, the Braves traded him to the Toronto Blue Jays in July 2010.

Toronto offered a fresh start, and Escobar thrived in 2011, batting .290 while playing solid defense. But his production waned last season, and he also found himself amid controversy when he wrote a homophobic slur in Spanish in his eye black, earning a three-game suspension.

Escobar said the message was meant as an inside joke but realized later how it could be offensive.

"Those were bad days in my life," he says, "but it won't happen again because I'm a respectful person about those matters. I want to apologize once more."

Players who know Escobar well, such as fellow Cuban Jose Contreras and former Blue Jays teammate Jose Bautista, vouch for him while acknowledging he has struggled to adapt to the American system of pro baseball. Bautista calls him "unique."

At 30, Escobar is getting another chance, with possibly the ideal team. Under manager Joe Maddon, the Rays welcome individuality and reclamation projects. Last season they picked up unwanted reliever Fernando Rodney, and he arguably became the majors' best closer.

"The thing I learned is a lot of his teammates liked him, which was a great place to start," Maddon said of his research on Escobar.

On a team typically starved for runs, Escobar could be a major factor as a shortstop with a career .353 on-base percentage and could prove a relative bargain at $5 million.

"I'm glad for him as a person, but it scares me a bit because he's going to a team where that type of personality is accepted," Bautista said of the Jays' division rival. "He's going to enjoy that environment."